Kim Cooper (3)

In a word, superb. I received the book in a member giveaway/early reviewer drawing. Having grown up in the Los Angeles area and having studied this particular genre, I thought I might be disappointed by the book. Boy, was I wrong! Well written, tightly crafted and steeped in the lore and mystery of the time, this book is amazing. The plot and story are original, fast paced, and the dialogue is spot-on. As a student of the hard-boiled detective novel, I am pleased by Ms. Cooper's dedication show more to the integrity of the genre; in fact, this rates right up there with Mr. Chandler's own work. The intertwining of real facts, real places, and fictional and real-life characters made this a great read. I honestly couldn't put it down. Write on, Kim Cooper! show less

Having grown up in Los Angeles I loved reading descriptions of how the city used to be when there were more orange groves and cattle farms than tall buildings. The fact that this story is based in fact had me trying to find out more facts that the book was based on. Kim Cooper made the characters in the book come alive. I felt I knew them well and though I did not like some of them I understood them and understood why they behaved as they did. I thoroughly enjoyed the book and the style it show more was written in. I would gladly read other books written by this author. show less

On my bucket list is doing every bus tour offered Esotouric. My wife and I are both obsessed with Los Angeles and its sordid history, and when I saw that the Esotouric's creator had just written a novel about Raymond Chandler, I went it into a swooning fit.  Then I read the book, and swooned again.

Set in 1929, the story is told by Raymond Chandler, then an oil company executive, who is tasked with ascertaining how his boss's son lost thousands of dollars, including oil leases, over the show more years.  This is historical Chandler -- an English ex-pat living in LA, melancholic, pipe-smoking, an older wife -- not Chandler by way of his fictional creation, Philip Marlowe. As such, he needs help with his investigation, and calls on his spunky secretary-slash-girlfriend Muriel and a beat cop whose moral compass cost him his promotion, Tom James.  But what seems to be a simple case of a couple taken in by hucksters turns out to be more complicated, dangerous, and messier than Chandler and company expected.

By far, Muriel made the story for me, and I wouldn't mind a whole series about her. (In a blog post about the novel's origins, Cooper says that once she had the idea for Muriel, 'everything came alive', and I couldn't agree more!)

Cooper's writing style is wonderful, warm and inviting, and rich with ambiance.  I don't think those unfamiliar with the era will be lost, as Cooper includes tidbits that evoke a strong sense of time and place without overwhelming the action.  Her articulation of Raymond Chandler is so good -- pathetic and intriguing in equal part, clever and cowardly -- and those who are new to Chandler will enjoy this seedy sort of introduction.

My only critique of this book is that there's a shift in narrative POV early on that I found jarring: the novel starts off with first person POV in Chandler's view point, but quickly drops that to third person POV between Chadler, Muriel, and Tom James.  I actually didn't notice it while reading, and it wasn't until I entered in the novel's first sentence did I realize at some point there was a POV shift.  I'm glad for it, as I enjoyed being with Muriel as much as I did Chandler!

According to this Kirkus Reviews feature, Cooper is considering a sequel, and like the author of the piece, I too am hoping she'll write one. 

In the end, a deeply delicious read.  Those who like ripped-from-the-headlines type crime stories will want this one, as well as anyone who enjoys the atmosphere of 1920s LA.  Until February 27th, you can enter to win a copy of the book via the author's website! show less

Los Angeles, 1929: a glittering metropolis on the crest of an epic crash. A mysterious prophetess and her alluring daughter have relieved an oil tycoon's nephew of his fortune. But the kid won't talk. To find the money, the old man calls on a trusted executive, Raymond Chandler, who in turn enlists the aid of his devoted secretary/mistress, Muriel Fischer, and their idealistic patrolman friend Tom James.

Soon the nephew is revealed as a high-ranking member of a murderous cult of angel show more worshippers, and the trio plunges into an investigation that sends them careening across Southern California, from sinister sanitariums to roadside burger stands, decaying Bunker Hill mansions to sparkling cocktail parties, taxi dance halls to the morgue, all in search of the secretive Great Eleven. But when Muriel goes undercover to infiltrate the group's rural lair, she comes face to face with disturbing truths that threaten to spoil everything, not just for the cult's members, but for herself as well.

A work of fiction inspired by actual events and featuring the real-life cop who is a likely model for the mature Chandler's greatest creation, private eye Philip Marlowe, Kim Cooper's "The Kept Girl" exposes a mystery so horrifying, it could only be true. show less